Tutorial: Resource Management

[zDark Shadowz]

Foreword: These are just the ideas and ramblings of my own* they aren't complaints or orders or improvement suggestions. Learn from it what you will.

So in EFU we've got all different kinds of resources available, but what do you do when those resources all dry up? Perhaps those quests didn't quite pay off as much as you would like, or that event used up every little potion and gold you had, leaving you penniless and powerless, left on the wayside of the streets of Sanctuary next to the nearest tentdweller...

... Well, do not give up hope. There are still plenty of ways to do medium to high-end content without emptying your buckets of resources.

Option 1: Hire (or play) someone that can heal.

I don't mean someone that happens to have buckets of crystals in reserve, or a cleric who has to sacrifice all his currently memorised spells for healing ones. I mean playing a proper 'Healer' roled character who specialises at doing exactly what they are meant to do without using up resources. Off-hand, I can think of three classes/perk combinations.

Fighter (RSD)
Sorcerer (Positivist)
Bard (Healing Song)

First off is the fighter RSD. He's constantly generating medicines at (almost no cost) through resting, and depending on how well he's doing, he may have Skill Focus: Heal and a slot for a healing brew to spare. Throw him all the medicines you find off corpses if he's struggling with his own resource management, and let him heal you in-between encounters instead of the party chugging away 3-4 light/moderate healing potions. He will get you all back up and running in tip-top condition within a few rounds, and if he over-healed on the roll, even provide you with a bit of a healing buffer should you be damaged before you reach back to full health again.

Sorcerer (Positivist) will have an inclination to collect every conceivable item that provides a bonus spellslot to his magics, because for every spellslot he has, that's another burst of healing the party as a whole will be able to enjoy. They can throw down celestial themed summonings if they don't need to heal, heft a crossbow and keep dealing his own damage from the backrow or be a spellsword-type so there's ways he can contribute in the fight, but generally in a pinch that combat-casted burst healing, regen ticks or clever Wall of Fire/Elemental Shield positioning will have everyone consistently fighting in top condition without heavy potion expenditure.

Bard (Healing Song) Bards can fill various roles, being a jack (or jill) of all trades. With their healing song and a good perform skill they can provide long-range healing and even regen around themselves, to everyone, on top of empowering your attacks and saving throws. More perform skill means a longer duration, alongside clever feat selections to increase duration and the number of times they can sing only serves to amplify their healing potential considerably. Bonus points if they're a cute scottish-accented red-head with high charisma, minus if they actually carry bagpipes with them and wear a kilt.

Option 2: Hire Casters over Potions.

It's nice to have that little priest in a bottle, but how about having that priest or wizard along for the ride instead? Druids, Clerics and Wizards have a very large repertoire of spells (if they aren't barred from transmutation) that can assist the group, enhancing your groups combat potential greatly without the need for you to bloat yourself on magical fizzy drinks. Bards and Sorcerers may also be packing away spells they use to empower themselves, if you can convince them to share the love your way in your ventures, all the better.

Option 3: Play Smarter

Sit down and talk with your group if you're all having a rough time. If you're a proper adventuring crew, take a look over your resources, share what you need to with each other. Perhaps some people are lower level than others? They may be able to acquire some resources for your ventures from another quest. Perhaps a quest has a lot of temporary supplies that you can use? It may be that you do some precursor quests for supplies you won't be keeping over a reset. About to need blurring potions? Maybe someone has ten of them stacked away you can trade for. It would also help to talk with NPCs that can cast spells, cheaper than purchasing the potion, before you head out. A bit more walking and time involved between excursions but overall more economic.